Paper-drying machine



April 21, 1925.

I C. NELSON PAPER DRYING MACHINE Filed April 13. 1922 2 sham-sheet 1 M TOR NE Y C. NELSQN PAPER DRYING MACHINE Fil ed April 1 1922 April 21, 1925.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V/JA TOR Clare /V6ZJ072 A TTORNE VS Patented Apr. 21, I

UNITED STATES 1,534,460 PATENT OFFICE.-

CLARE NELSON, on Bnooxmm, new Yonx, assranon, BY mnsnn assremms, To.

CHARLES C. OIBCUTT,

on NEW Yonx, N. Y.

rerun-DRYING nacnmn.

Application filed April 13,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARE NELsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings,-State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Paper-Drying Machines;

and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains toniake and use the same.

My invention is an improvement in paper drying machines, and relates particularly to means for correcting the tendency to side slip in paper supportin belts or aprons of the character shown and described in applications, Serial No. 356,669, filed February a 6, 1920, and Serial No. 434,231, filed December 31, 1920.

Machines of this character are designed I to dry the paper quickly, and the paper is so supported in its passage through the machine, that a minimum of obstructions is offered to the free circulation of the heated air, at both faces of'the paper. To attain this end, a support is provided which engages the paper over restricted areas relatively' close set, preferably a support of wire cloth or screen, so woven, that each face thereof presents a series of parallel grooves,

separated by'and alternating with ribs. The

ribs are. not continuous, but are broken, each ribbeing composed of many alined projections. The cloth or screen is woven on the bias, and the ribs and grooves are inclined with respect to the length of the belt, and to the direction of its travel. Hence the ribs meet the peripheries of the supporting rollers for the apron at an angle. and a contin-. uing lateral stress is exerted, which tends to displace the apron laterally and longitudinally of the rollers. I

The object of the present invention is to provide means for counteracting the tend: ency of the apron toward lateral movement, by setting up a continuing stress actin to displace the apron in the opposite direction.

In the drawings; Figure l is a diagrammatic sectional view showing one embodiment of the invention, Figure 2 is a partial plan view, with a part of. the upper run of the apron broken away, Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of a dryer unit provided with the apron, and

1922. Serial H0. 552,173.

showing an alternate method of counteracting side slip,

Figure 4 is a partial plan view of one of the rollers with the apron in place,

Figure 5 is a similar view with the apron removed, I

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional detail of the roller and apron.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1 and '2, the belt or apron 1 is composed of wire mesh, and woven on the bias, as shown in Figure 2. The apron is-so woven, that each face thereof presents a series of grooves, separated by broken ribs, each rib comprising a. number of alining projections. The projections on the upper run of the apron engage the paper to be supported, over restricted areas relatively close set, so that the heated air may have freeaccess to the under face of the paper. Because of the bias weave of the cloth, the ribs are inclined with respect to the length of the apron, and to thedirection of its movement, and because of this inclined arrangement of the ribs, they meet the peripheralsurfaces of thefrollers 2, upon which they are supported, at anangle, and there is a cumming action, between the ribs and the roller surface, which tends to slip the apron laterally on the rollers. Such side slip is objectionable for many reasons, and in order to counteract the same, I provide means for exerting a continuing stress acting 'to displace the apron in the opposite direction. The said means in the construc tion of Figures 1 and 2, is a pair of similar rollers 3, which are arranged to engage the opposite face of the apron, from that which is engaged by the rollers 2. In the present instance these rollers 3 are of the same diameter as the rollers 2, and they engage the lower face of the under run of the apron,

which is the opposite face from that engaged by the rollers 2. With such arrangement,

the rollers 3 exert a camming action on the apron, in the opposite direction to the action exerted on the apron by the rollers 2, since the ribs on the inner face of the apron are inclined in the opposite direction to those on the outer face of the apron, and there is thus provided equal stresses acting to displace the apron in opposite directions, and counteracting each other.

In the construction of Figures 3 to 6, the apron is shown in connection with a heater casing 4, the upper run of the endless belt or apron 5, passing through the casing, longitudinally thereof. 'llhe apronis supported by rollers 6 at the ends'of the casing, I and the lower run, which is below the casing,

is tensioned by a roller 7. One of the rollers 6, has sliding bearings 8, which are movable in guides, and are moved by screws 9, and

by means of these screws, the roller v6 may. be moved toward or from its companion roller, to tension the apron 5. It is obvious,

however, that the entire apron might be arranged within the casing if desired, .or that any other suitable arrangement of rollers might'be provided. In order to counteract the tendency of the apron toward side slip, I provide one or both of the supporting rollers 6 with a series of substantially parallel spirally extending grooves 10, forming between them elevated ribsll. These ribs incline in the opposite direction to those of the adjacent face of the apron, and they tend to move the apron in the opposite direction to that in which it is moved by the camming action between the ribs of the apron and the v roller. The ribs 11 need not be inclined-at tion to that exerted by the supporting roller.

I claim:

1, In a machine of the class described the combination of an endless belt or apron'of fabric woven on the bias and having paperengaging surfaces arranged in lines on its opposite faces, the said lines being inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the belt and those on one face being 0 positely disposed with respect'to those on t e other, a roller,for moving said apron. and by its contact with the apron tending to move the latter laterally in one direction,and a second rollerengaging said apron and arranged to exert a continued lateral stress on said apron in a direction opposite to that in which the roller first named tends to move the apron. 2. In a machine of the class described the combination of a paper-supporting apron gmg surfaces of having on each fage en restricted area and relatively close set, arranged -in lines inclined to the direction of travel of the apron, the inclination of the lines on one face being opposite to the inclinationof the lines on the other, a roller for'supporting and moving the apron and by its contact with the engaging surfaces of the apron tending to move the latter laterally in one direction, and a second roller engag'ng said apron and arranged to exert a 'the rollers first named.

4.' In a machine of the class described, the

continuing lateral stress-on said apron in a direction opposite to that in which the roller first named tends to move the apron.

3. In a machine of the class described-the opposite to the one engaged by the rollers first mentioned and exerting a lateral stress upon the apron opposite to that exerted by combination of a paper-supporting apron of wire clothwoven on the bias to provide substantially parallel paper-engaging ribs on each face inclined with respect to the direction of travel, the ribs on one face being inclined in the opposite directioh to those on the other face, a pair of rollers disposed within the apron for movin the latter and by their contact with the ribs of the apron tending to move the apron laterally in one direction durin its forward movement, and rollers dispo outside of the apron and by their contact with the ribs of the apron exerting a uni-directional lateral stress upon the apron opposite to that exerted by the rollers first named.

5. In a machine of the class described the combination ofa belt or apron provided with a plurality of inclined lines or paperengaging ribs on either face, the lines being inclinedin opposite directions on the opposite faces, rollers within the apron for moving the same and by their contact with said ribs tending to move the apron laterally during its forward movement, and rollers located outside of the apron and having substantially the same diameter as the rollers first named, the rollers of the second group bytheir contact with the ribs on the face opposite to that engaged by the rollers first named serving to exert a uni-directional lateral force upon the apron opposite and equal to that exerted by saidfirst named rollers.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a paper-supporting apron havin substantially parallel paper-engaging ri s on its faces, the ribs being inclined with respect to the direction of travel of the apron and having opposite inclinations on the opposite faces of the apron, a roller for moving the a ron arranged to engage the ribs on one ace thereof and continuousl exerting a uni-directional lateral stress on e apron, and another roller engaging the apron and having a plurality of substantially parallel spiral grooves arranged on its face, these grooves contacting with the ribs of the apron and exerting a unidirectional lateral stress on the apron opposite and equal to that exerted by the roller first named.

.7. In a machine of the class described, a

roller by its contact withthe said ribs tending to force the apron laterally in one direction continuously, and another roller having a plurality of spiral vgrooves formed in its surface for engaging the same face of'the apron as is engaged by the roller first mentioned, the spiral grooves in the second roller being formed to exert a continuous unidirectional stress on the apron opposite and equal to that exerted by the first roller.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CLARE rfELsoN. 

